Death's Shadow
Death's Shadow is the first episode of the second series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders and was originally aired 20th January 1999. Synopsis DCI Barnaby and his wife Joyce plan to renew their wedding vows at St Michael's in Badger's Drift, but this is put on hold when a local property developer, Richard Bayly, is found decapitated in his own home. Barnaby and DS Troy have a lot to discover as the man had an illness which meant he might have only weeks to live. They discover that Badger's Drift is a hotbed of corruption and property feuding. However, they begin to doubt their theories when more bodies turn up. Plot Barnaby and Troy investigate the murder of Richard Bayly who is found in his home in Badger's Drift hacked to death. Bayley had recently received bad news from his doctor who informed him that he had a brain tumour. There are many possible suspects, including villagers who oppose Bailey's plan to redevelop a major property, Tye House, into a golf course and residential housing estate and his childhood friend, Ian Eastman, who lost out on an opportunity to develop the new property. Cully Barnaby gets an opportunity to work with Simon Fletcher, a one-time resident of Badger's Drift who is now a well-known director and also happens to be a childhood friend to Eastman and Bayly. When a second murder is committed, the detectives must find a motive that is linked to events some 30 years earlier. Cast *John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby *Daniel Casey as Sgt. Gavin Troy *Jane Wymark as Joyce Barnaby *Laura Howard as Cully Barnaby *Barry Jackson as Dr. George Bullard *Richard Briers as Stephen Wentworth *Judy Parfitt as Angela Wentworth *Julian Wadham as Simon Fletcher *Dominic Jephcott as Richard Bayly *Christopher Villiers as David Whitely *Nick Dunning as Ian Eastman *Jessica Turner as Brenda Eastman *Vivian Pickles as Agnes Sampson *Anna Cropper as Claire Williams *Gordon Gostelow as Reginald Williams *Mossie Smith as Barbara Henson *Terence Corrigan as Charles Jennings *Nick Robinson as Felix Bryce *Eileen Davies as Olive Beauvoisin *Timothy Bateson as Mr. Jocelyne *Marlene Sidaway as Mrs. Bundy *Neil Conrich as Police Constable Angel Galleries Body Count felix-bryce.jpg|Felix Bryce Died 30 years prior to the events of the episode by hanging. Accidental death. Sdfg.png|Jennifer Bryce Died of depression 9 months after Felix's death due to being heartbroken. richard-bayly.jpg|Richard Bayly Decapitated with an Indian sword. david-whitely-01.jpg|David Whitely Burned to death in the arson fire of the trailer he lived in. simon-fletcher.jpg|Simon Fletcher Shot in back with an arrow. stephen-wentworth.jpg|Stephen Wentworth Committed suicide by jumping from the top of the scaffolding surrounding the church. Supporting Cast angela-wentworth.jpg|Angela Wentworth ian-eastman.jpg|Ian Eastman brenda-eastman.jpg|Brenda Eastman agnes-sampson.jpg|Agnes Sampson claire-williams.jpg|Claire Williams reginald-williams.jpg|Reginald Williams barbara-henson.jpg|Barbara Henson charles-jennings.jpg|Charles Jennings olive-beauvoisin.jpg|Olive Beauvoisin james-jocelyne.jpg|Mr. Jocelyne mrs-bundy.jpg|Mrs. Bundy Episode Images deaths-shadow-07.jpg deaths-shadow-08.jpg deaths-shadow-01.jpg deaths-shadow-02.jpg deaths-shadow-03.jpg deaths-shadow-04.jpg deaths-shadow-05.jpg deaths-shadow-06.jpg Notes *Last appearance of Christopher Villiers as David Whitely. *This episode marked the debut of Eileen Davies in the role of Olive Beauvoisin and Terence Corrigan in the role of Charles Jennings. The following actors and actresses who appeared in this episode have also appeared in the following episodes: *Christopher Villiers - The Killings at Badger's Drift *Timothy Bateson - Written in Blood and Orchis Fatalis *Neil Conrich - The Killings at Badger's Drift, Written in Blood, Death of a Hollow Man, Strangler's Wood, Beyond the Grave and Birds of Prey *Terence Corrigan - Dead Man's Eleven *Eileen Davies - Dead Man's Eleven and Hidden Depths *Dominic Jephcott - Four Funerals and a Wedding *Judy Parfitt - Days of Misrule *Marlene Sidaway - The Killings at Badger's Drift, Written in Blood and Judgement Day *Jessica Turner - A Sacred Trust *Julian Wadham - The Creeper Category:Series Two episodes